Pivotal yoke and coupler connection



Dec. 15, 1931. s. B. HASELTINE 1,836,244

PIVOTAL YOKE AND COU PL ER CONNECTION Filed Feb. 25, 1929 V 3 7 4///%/7/// fl////32 2i l 11 v I 51/ if WW5 V vertical end member of theyoke, not shown. The shock absorbing mechanism is compressed between theend member of the yoke and the front follower 20 in the usual mannerduring a draft action or outward movement of the coupler and yoke and iscompressed between the follower 20 and the usual rear stop lugs, notshown, of the draft sills up on inward movement of the coupler in buff.

Thecoupler shank is provided with a transverse coupler key receivingopening 25 of special design. As shown, the coupler key receivingopening 25 has the front end wall thereof provided with a concavebearingseat or surface 26 extending transversely of the coupler shank.The rear end wall of the opening 25 is preferably straight transverselybut curved vertically in the usual manner.

As more clearly shown in Figure 2, the bearing surface of the front endwall 26 of the coupler key receiving opening is also curved or of convexformation in a vertical direction. The coupler shank is also providedwith a vertical pin receiving opening 27 which intersects the rearportion of the key receiving opening of the coupler shank. The bottomwall of the hood of the yoke is also provided with a vertical opening 28of larger diameter than the pin receiving opening 27 of the couplershank.

The coupler key G, which is employed to connect the coupler shank andyoke and guide the parts for longitudinal movement, extends through thekey receiving opening 25 of the shank, the openings 2424 of the yoke andthe key receiving openings 13-13 of the draft sills. As most clearlyshown in Figure 1, the forward edge portion of the coupler key G isprovided with a curved enlargement 29 forming a bearing membercooperating with the seat 26. The enlargement 29 has a transverse convexsurface formation which is also vertically curved so as to properlycooperate with the seat 26. At the rear edge,

.' midway between the opposite ends of the key, the same is providedwitha curved seat or opening 30 adapted to cooperate withthe pivot pm D.The pivot, pin D serves as a pivotal connection between the couplershank andrthe key C during both the draft and buliing action of themechanism, and serves as means for transmitting the pulling forces fromthe coupler shank to the coupler key and yoke during outward movement ofthe coupler in draft.

The pin D is of substantially cylindrical form and is mounted in thevertical pin receiving opening 27 of the coupler shank and extendsthrough the bearing opening or seat 30 at the rear edge of the key C,the curved outer surface of the pin fitting the seat 30 so as to providetrue pivotal swinging movement between the pin and the coupler key. Aswill be evident, the coupler is thus mounted for pivotal swingingmovement with respect to the key and the yoke, the pin at the same timeholding the bearing projection 25) of the key in cooperating relationwith the bearing seat 26 on the front end wall of the key receivingopening of the coupler shank, thereby preventing endwise removal of thecoupler key. By providing the pivot pin connection just described, noadditional retaining means is necessary for preventing removal of thecoupler key.

In assembling the par-ts after insertion of the coupler key C throughthe openings of the coupler shan-k,'the yoke and the draft sills, thepin receiving opening 27 is brought into alignment with the opening 28in the bottom wall of the hood and the pin inserted through the opening28 into the opening 27 of the shank. After the pin has been applied, thesame is held against. dropping through the opening 28 by a supportingplate 31 which overlies the opening and engages the bottom end of thepin D. As most clearly illustrated in Figure 2, the plate has adownturned flange 32 at the outer end thereof, adapted to abut the frontedge of the bottom wall of the hood and is secured in position by acotter pin 33 extending through the bottom wall of the hood and theplate 31.

During a bulfing action, the cou ler A will be forced inwardly, carryingt' e follower 20 therewith and compressing the shock absorbing mechanismdirectly. During this action, when the key has been moved inwardly withrespect to the yoke, the same will be free to swing with the coupler,but in theevent of either one or both ends of the key engaging the frontend walls of the slots of the yoke, swinging movement of the couplerwith respect to the yoke .and key C is accommodated by the pivot pin D.In this connection, it is pointed out that .the inner surfaces of theside walls of the hood are flared outwardly in the usual manner topermit the necessary lateral movement of the coupler shank when cars arebeing operated on curved track.

When a draft action is applied to the coupler A, the pin D is pulledoutwardly therewith, and, inasmuch as the pin directly engages the keyG, the latter is carried forwardly therewith and, by engagement with thefront end walls of the key openings 24 of the side members of the yoke,pulls the yoke outwardly and effects compression of the shock absorbingmechanism in the usual manner. As will .be evident, pivotal swingingmovement-of the coupler with respect to the key is permitted by thepivotal connection between the pin D and the rear edge of the key,

the bearing projection at the front end of the key and the cooperatingbearing seat 26 of the couplershank allowing the pivotal movement aboutthe center of the pin without danger of disengagement of the couplershank and key.

An important advantage is obtained by providing the pivotal connectionrearwardly of the coupler key by means of the pivot pin,

in that the amount of rocking movement of the coupler butt on thefollower 20 is reduced to a minimum.

While I have herein shownand described what I consider the preferredmanner of carrying out my invention, the same is merely illustrative andI contemplate all changes and modifications which come within the scopeof the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a coupler having ashank member provided with a transverse key receiving opening, the frontwall of the opening being provided with a bearing seat; of a yoke memberhaving aligned coupler key receiving openings; a coupler key extendingthrough the openings of the shank and yoke, said key having a bearingenlargement rigid therewith at the forward edge adapted to en- "agewithin the, bearing seat, saidcoupler key having a curved bearing seatat the rear edge thereof; a pivot member mounted in the coupler shankextendin transversely of the key and having a curve bearing portionengaging within the seat of the key holding said bearing enlargement ofthe key seated in the 7 seat of the key receiving opening and pre-'venting endwise removal of the key.

2. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a coupler having ashank member provided with a transverse key receiving opening, saidopening having a transversely extending concave seat on the front wallthereof, and a pivot pin receiving opening interseoting the inner end ofthe key receiving opening; ofayoke having aligned coupler key receivingopenings; a coupler keyhaving an integral convex bearing projection atthe forward side thereof, engaged within the concave bearing seat and apivot pin receiving opening at the rear side, said key extending throughthe opening of the coupler shank and the aligned openings of the yoke; apivot pin mounted in the pivot pin opening of the Y coupler shank andextending through the pivot opening of the coupler key and holding thebearing projection of the key in said seat, thereby preventing endwiseremoval of the key and means for maintaining the pivot pin assembledwith the coupler shank.

3. A pivotal yoke and coupler connection for railway draft riggingsincluding: A yoke member having a hood defined by spaced top and bottomand spaced side walls, said side Walls having aligned coupler keyreceiving openings; a coupler having a shank provided with a horizontaltransverse key receiving opening having a curved bearing seat on theipterior front wall of the opening; a key connecting the coupler shankand yoke, extending through said key receiving openings of the shank andyoke, said key having a curved bearing projection cooperating with the vcurved bearing seat and a concave bearing face on the rear side thereof;and a pin connecting the coupler shank and key for pivotal movement,said pin extending vertically through the coupler shank and pivotallyenaging said concave bearing surface of the

